Improvement in cases for railroad-tickets



UNITED STATES firmen.

PATENT IMPROVEMENT IN CASES FOR RAILROAD-TICKETS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 34,245, dated January 28, 1862.

drawings, making part of this specification,l

in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation, Fig. 2 a central vertical section, and Fig. 3 a sectional rear View, of a ticket-case having my improvement applied thereto, like letters indicating the same parts when in the different iigures.

The best ticket-cases in use in railroad-stations, theaters, dvc., require that the operatorshall apply his thumb and finger directly to the'top and bottom tickets, respectively, of the pack in the -case and by friction with the finger cause the bottom or required ticket to be brought suiciently in advance of the others to enable him to withdraw it entirely. This mode of advancing or protruding the required ticket is objectionable, because it is inconvenient and, unless the finger be moistened, sometimes difficult. It is true there has been produced a registering apparatus -in which a slide, an inclined plane, and several gear-wheels are so combined that while a single ticket is pulled forward by the operator an index is operated and the said ticket registered; but this device is necessarily very complicated, and therefore costly and very liable to deran gement. To obviate these objections in ticket-cases is the purpose of my invention.

It consists simply in the application to any suitable ticket-case of a sliding spring-stein constructed-and arranged as hereinafter described and set forth, whereby on removing the pressure of ones nger or thumb applied to push the said stem inward the reaction of the same shall bring forward the single ticket required.

In the drawings, A represents the case; B, the pack of tickets as placed therein; C, the stem, which is adapted to slide in a hole in one of the sides of .the said case, and also in contact at its rear end with the two lowest tick ets of the pack, and b the protruded ticket.

The case A may be constructed of any size that the dimensions of the pack of tickets may require, leaving au opening d in front and in the same plane with the upper side of the bottom of the said case of the full width and thickness of any one of the tickets B. The front and bottom of the said case may be fitted with suitable flange-plates d2 di to support and retain the pack B, as seen in the drawings, or the said front and bottom may be closed, so as to leave only the necessary narrow opening a in front and the supply-opening at the top (1.4. A narrow smooth piece of wood or wire a5 may be xed in a vertical position against the middle of the back of the case, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, to keep the pack of tickets B from direct contact with the said back to diminish friction or to allow the pack to sink more readily when the bottom ticket is entirely withdrawn from the case. A small weight E should also be laid upon the pack, substantially as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, to make its descent absolutely certain.

The stem C, which is adapted to slide in a hole in one of the sides of the case and in contact with the two lowest tickets of the pack, consists of a projecting thumb-piece c', which in the interior of the said side piece of the case is diminished in diameter, so as to move within a spiral spring F, (see dot-ted lines in Fig. 2,) and also form upon it a shoulder to abut against the one end ot' the said spring, while the other end of the spring abuts against the case in such a manner that when the stem C is pushed inward it shall compress the spring and when the pressure is removed from the stem of. the reaction of the spring shall throw the said stem out again to its normal position, as seen in the drawings. After passing through the spring and back of the case the stem C extends iirst obliquely downward, then under the case, and connects with a block G, which by means of tongues and grooves' or otherwise is caused to preserve a position parallel to the bottom of the case and the pack of tickets as it is moved backward and forward in operating the stem C. The said block G projects above the bottom of the case in an opening therein for the purpose exactly the thickness of any one of the tickets in the pack B, and is attached to the stem C, so that when the latter is pushed back at c to its limit the front edge of the said block G shall pass but a short distance behind the pack of tickets, and when the pressure is removed from c the said block in returning to its normal position shall come into contact with the inner end of the lowest ticket b and force it outward to the position seen in Figs. 1 and 2, thus enabling the operator to effect the purpose required-'L'. e., the'certain and invariable protrusion of the required ticket in a more easy and expeditious manner and Without touching it with either his finger or thumb.

When used in railway-stations and other places where a variety of tickets are dispensed,

it is intended to have a series of these ticketcasesAarranged beside each other in frames or removable supports fitted in a suitable covering-closet tted with lock and key for security and so that after opening the closet access will be instantly had to the tickets, as required.

J. H. DUFFIELD. Witnesses:

BENJ. MoRIsoN, B. F. SHATTUCK. 

